Container positioning mechanism



Feb. 1, 1966 F. H. DEAN 3,232,461

CONTAINER POSITIONING MECHANISM Filed April 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 flame/J /7. .09 an INVENTOR.

BY MK ATTORNEY Feb. 1, F. H. DEAN CONTAINER POSITIONING MECHANISM Filed April 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0'6 0'5 60 Franc/J H. flea/7 3 4 INVENTOR.

l1 54 W f ATTORNEY Filed Apr. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 271,979 6 Claims. (Cl. 2143tl2) This invention relates to container handling apparatus, and more particularly to positioning mechanism for use with such apparatus, whereby a container may be placed at a predeterimned location relative to a vehicle with which the same is used.

The invention is capable of use in the loading of vehicles of various types for the handling of containers employed in such loading, and finds particular utility in connection with the handling of containers of the type which are to be lifted and emptied into a collection vehicle and then replaced on the ground.

In the disposal of refuse, a system is often employed which involves the use of disposal receptacles which are adapted to be individually lifted and emptied into a collection vehicle and replaced on the ground. For this purpose the collection vehicle is provided with an upward extending trackway at one side along which the collection receptacle may be lifted upwardly by cable mechanism on the vehicle to empty the receptacle into the vehicle and then replace the receptacle on the ground. Receptacles of this kind are often positioned at locations, such as close to walls, or on soft ground, where it is very diflicult or impossible to move the collection vehicle close to the receptacle, so that it then becomes necessary to drag the receptacle toward the vehicle before lifting the same, and the receptacle cannot then be easily replaced at the same location.

Equipment of this kind also requires that the hoisting cables he connected to the receptacle on each side thereof, before carrying out the emptying operation, and that the cables be disconnected from the receptacle after it has been replaced, and when the receptacle is positioned close to a wall and the vehicle is moved to a position close to the receptacle, it then becomes necessary for the operator to climb over the receptacle or walk around the vehicle to make certain that the cables are properly connected before the lifting and dumpint operation can be carried out.

The present invention has for an important object the provision of receptacle or container positioning mechanism, for use with receptacles and vehicles of the above mentioned type, by which the receptacle may be positioned at a desired location in spaced relation to the vehicle when the receptacle is replaced on the ground.

A further obiect of the invention is the provision of receptacle positioning mechanism for use in the unloading of receptacles from vehicles provided with hoisting apparatus, by which a receptacle may be moved away from the vehicle while the receptacle is being lowered, to position the receptacle at a desired location on the ground in spaced relation to the vehicle.

'A further object of the invention is the provision of receptacle positioning mechanism for use with vehicles equipped with apparatus for lifting and lowering receptacles including extensible and retractable means mounted on the vehicle in position to be extended into engagement with a receptacle in a suspended condition to move the receptacle to a desired location in spaced relation to the vehicle preparatory to lowering the receptacle to the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide receptacle positioning mechanism for use with vehicles of the type having lifting and lowering apparatus and including hydraulic means operable to actuate the mechanism to an extended position for engagement with a receptacle to United States Patent [ice hold the same in spaced relation to the vehicle and to a retracted position out of such engagement.

A further object of the invention is the provision of receptacle positioning mechanism for vehicles equipped with receptacle lifting and lowering apparatus, which mechanism is operated from the same power source as the lifting and lowering apparatus.

A still further object of the invention is to provide receptacle positioning mechanism for vehicles having lifting and lowering apparatus and which is of simple design and rugged construction, easily applied to existing vehicle structures, and which is operable to hold a receptacle in a predetermined spaced relation to the vehicle during the lowering of the receptacle, so that the receptacle will be positioned at a desired location when lowered to the ground.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention may best be understood from the following detailed description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the same, wherein FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, one reduced scale, of a collecting vehicle and collection receptacle of the type with which the positioning mechanism. is employed, the receptacle being shown in its lowered position preparatory to the lifting and dumping of the same;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in FlGURE 1, showing somewhat diagrammatically the positioning mechanism in its retracted position;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2 showing the receptacle in dumping position;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2, showing the receptacle in its relowered position with the positioning mechanism in extended condition to position.

the receptacle at a desired location;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, plane View, on an enlarged scale, showing a portion of the receptacle positioning mechanism mounted thereon and in its fully retracted condition;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional View, on a somewhat larger scale, taken along the line 65 of FIGURE 5, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FEGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the hydraulic system by which the positioning mechanism is operated.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail the invention is illustrated herein in connection with its application to a refuse collecting vehicle, generally designated 1b, of the type having a hollow body provided with a refuse receiving opening 12, upwardly extending side trackways i4 and cables 16, together with cable winding mechanism by which a refuse receptacle may be lifted and lowered for the purpose of emptying the receptacle into the vehicle and replacing the same on the ground.

Refuse receptacles, such as that indicated at 18, are provided for use with vehicles of this type, which receptacles are provided with external, outwardly extending, trunnions 2t), or the like, on opposite sides of the receptacle, positioned for the releasable attachment thereto of suitable eyes 22, books, or the like, attached to the free ends of the cables 16, by which the receptacle may be lifted and lowered. The receptacles are also provided with rollers 24 positioned for engagement with the trackways 14, which are provided with notches 26, or other suitable stop means, near the upper ends of the trackways, with which the rollers 24 may coact to limit the upward movement of the receptacle along the trackways, and to cause the receptacle to overturn when the receptacle reaches its uppermost position to empty the receptacle into the opening 12 of the vehicle.

In the operation of equipment of this type, the receptacles are often positioned close to or against walls, such as the wall W, shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, or other structures, so that when the collecting vehicle is moved to a position close to such a container, for the purpose of attaching the cables 16 thereto and lifting the container to empty the same, the receptacle is likely to strike the wall during replacement of the same on the ground. If the vehicle is moved to a position farther away from the receptacle, then the receptacle must be dragged toward the vehicle to engage the rollers 24 with the trackway 14, before the receptacle can be lifted, and when the receptacle is then replaced on the ground it will be at a location spaced away from the wall.

Under conditions in which the receptacle is positioned close to or against a wall, and the vehicle is moved to a position close to the receptacle, the operator must either climb over the receptacle in attaching the cables 16 to the receptacle, or walk completely around the vehicle, to make certain that the cables are properly connected.

The present invention is intended to overcome the above difficulties in the use of'equipment of this kind, and to provide means by which the containers may be readily positioned at desired locations in spaced relation to the vehicle when replaced on the ground.

The positioning mechanism of the invention, is illus-. trated in detail in FIGURES 5 and 6, and comprises a pressure fluid cylinder 30, mounted in a substantially horizontal position on a suitable portion of the vehicle, such as the running board R, extending laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, at a location centrally of the width of the opening 12.

The cylinder may be provided with suitable attaching lugs 32 extending laterally from each end of the cylinder, through which bolts 34 may be extended which extend through the running board to securely hold the cylinder in place. The cylinder is provided at each end with suitable fittings, such as those indicated at 36, for the attachment thereto of pressure fluid pipes, through which fluid under pressure may be admitted to and exhausted from either end of the cylinder. The cylinder is provided with the usual piston disposed therein, to which a connecting rod 38 is attached, which is slidably extended through the outer end of the cylinder, suitable packing, not shown, being provided about the connecting rod, to form a fluid tight seal between the same and the cylinder, in the usual manner.

The connecting rod 38 is connected at its outer end to a crossbar 40, centrally between the ends of the crossbar, as by means of perforated lugs 42 on the crossbar through which a pin 44 is extended, which also extends through a tubular bearing 46 on the outer end of the connecting rod. The crossbar 40 is provided at its opposite ends with guide arms 48, which extend parallel to and spaced from the cylinder 30 and are slidably disposed in tubular guides 50 attached to the running board as by means of Welding, indicated at 52, or by other suitable means.

When the positioning mechanism is in its fully retracted position, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the crossbar 40 will preferably be within the outer confines of the running board R so that no part of the mechanism projects laterally beyond the vehicle, and it will be apparent that when one of the receptacles 18 is positioned, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, with the rollers 24 in engagement with the trackways 14 the crossbar 40 will engage the receptacle when the positioning mechanism is extended, to push the receptacle away from the vehicle and hold the same in spaced relation thereto.

The positioning mechanism is operated by pressure fluid from a pressure fluid system carried by the vehicle, by which the cable winding mechanism is also operated to lift and lower the receptacles. The pressure fluid system is illustrated in FIGURE 7, wherein a fluid supply reservoir 54 is provided, which is connected in communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder 34 through pressure fluid lines 56 and 5'8, the system including a high pressure fluid pump 60, to which fluid from the reservoir may flow through a pipe 62 and from which fluid under pressure is supplied to the pipe 58 through a discharge pipe 64. The pipe 64 has a valve 66, from which a by-pass line 68 leads back to the reservoir 54 by which the pressure in the system will be limited in the usual manner. A four-way valve 70 is connected in the lines 56 and 58, to allow fluid to be supplied to either end of the cylinder 30, while returning fluid to the reservoir from the other end thereof, or to completely shut off the flow of fluid to hold the positioning mechanism stationary.

The cable winding mechanism by which the cables 16 are operated includes a pressure fluid cylinder 72, suitably mounted on the vehicle and into whose opposite ends the pressure fluid supply pipes 56 and 58 are connected, through a four-way valve 74, so that fluid under pressure may be supplied to either end of the cylinder 72 while exhausting the same from the other end thereof or the valve 74 may be positioned to completely shut off the flow of fluid to hold the cable winding mechanism stationary.

The cylinder 72 has a piston movably disposed therein, to which a connecting rod 76 is connected, which rod is slidably extended through one end of the cylinder, in the usual manner and carries at its outer end a cable pulley '78, rotatably mounted thereon about which the cable 16 is wound. The cable 16 also passes over a stationary pulley 80, rotatably mounted on the vehicle at a suitable location toward and away from which the pulley 78 is moved by actuation of the cylinder 72.

In making use of the invention, constructed and arranged as described above, the vehicle 16 may be moved to a position, such as that shown in FIGURE 2, to allow the cable 16 to be connected to the receptacle 18, whereupon by suitably positioning the valve 74 fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinder 72 to move the piston rod 76 inwardly of the cylinder, to pull the pulley 78 away from the pulley 8%, thus winding up the cables 16, in the usual manner to lift the receptacle upwardly along the trackway 14 and empty the receptacle into the vehicle. The valve 74 may then be reversed to allow the connecting rod 76 to be extended, thus unwinding the cable to allow the receptacle to move downwardly along the trackway 14, When the receptacle has nearly reached the ground the valve 74 is moved to a position to completely shut oif the flow of fluid to and from the cylinder 72 to hold the receptacle in a slightly elevated position. The valve 70 is then moved to a position to furnish pressure fluid to one end of the cylinder 30, to extend the connecting rod 38, thereby extending the positioning mechanism to engage the crossbar 40 with the receptacle, to push the receptacle away from the vehicle, whereupon the valve 74 may again be operated to lower the receptacle to the ground at a location spaced from the vehicle. In this manner the receptacle may be set down against a wall, or at some other location in spaced relation to th vehicle, such that the operator may readily pass between the vehicle and the receptacle for the purpose of disconnecting the cables from the receptacle.

It will also be apparent that under some conditions the positioning mechanism may first be actuated into engagement with a receptacle which is spaced from the vehicle, after which the cables may be connected to the receptacle and the valves '70 and 74 operated in a manner to allow the receptacle to be drawn toward the vehicle to engage the rollers '74 with the trackway 14, without permitting the receptacle to strike the vehicle in a manner to cause damage to the same or to the receptacle.

It will thus be apparent that the invention provides container or receptacle positioning mechanism by which a container may be held in spaced relation to the vehicle during the lowering of the receptacle to allow the receptacle to be deposited at any desired location relative to the vehicle.

The invention is disclosed herein in connection with a certain specific embodiment of the same, and a particular type of vehicle with which the positioning mechanism is used, but it will be understood that this is intended by way of illustration only, and that the positioning mechanism may be applied to vehicles of various types equipped with lifting and lowering mechanism of any suitable kind for the handling of receptacles or articles which are to be loaded on or unloaded from such vehicles.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a vehicle provided with cable apparatus adapted to be detachably connected to a receptacle for lifting and lowering the same to deposit the receptacle on and remove the same from a position on the ground in spaced relation to the vehicle of an extensible member movably mounted on the vehicle for movement into and out of engagement with the receptacle to hold the receptacle in spaced relation to the vehicle While the receptacle is being lowered to the ground.

2. The combination with a vehicle provided with cable apparatus adapted to be detachably connected to a receptacle for lifting and lowering the same to deposit the receptacle on and remove the same from a position on the ground in spaced relation to the vehicle of an extensible member movably mounted on the vehicle for movement into and out of engagement with the receptacle to hold the receptacle in spaced relation to the vehicle while the receptacle is being lowered to the ground and means for moving the member toward and away from the receptacle.

3. The combination with a vehicle provided with cable apparatus adapted to be detachably connected to a receptacle for lifting and lowering the same to position the receptacle to be deposited in and removed from a position on the ground in spaced relation to the vehicle of an extensible member movably mounted on the vehicle in position for movement to an extended position in engagement with a receptacle positioned adjacent the vehicle to move the receptacle away from the vehicle and to a retracted position out of such engagement and means for moving the member from one to the other of said position.

4. The combination with a vehicl provided with cable apparatus for lifting and lowering a receptacle to deposit the same in and remove the same from a position on the ground in spaced relation to the vehicle of an extensible member movably mounted on the vehicle in position for movement into and out of engagement with a receptacle being held in a position of elevation by said apparatus to hold the receptacle in spaced relation to the vehicle during lowering of the receptacle to the ground and pressure fluid operable means for moving the member into and out of engagement with the receptacle.

5. The combination with a vehicle provided with cable apparatus for lifting and lowering a receptacle to deposit the same in and remove the same from a position on the ground in spaced relation to the vehicle of a receptacle engaging member, support means slidably mounted on the vehicle and connected to the member to support the member for movement into and out of engagement with a receptacle being held at an elevation by said apparatus in horizontally spaced relation to the vehicle to hold the receptacle against movement toward the vehicle, and pressure fluid means for moving the support means toward and away from the receptacle.

6. The combination with a vehicl provided with cable apparatus for lifting and lowering a receptacle to deposit the same in and move the same from a position on the ground in spaced relation to the vehicle of spaced apart, parallel, support elements slidably mounted on the vehicle for lateral movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a receptacle engaging member connecting the outer ends of the elements for movement into engagement with a receptacle held in an elevated position by said apparatus to move the receptacle away from the vehicle upon outward sliding movement of the elements and pressure fluid means positioned on the vehicle in position for coaction with the elements to impart lateral movement to the elements relative to said axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,179,779 11/1939 Dempster 214-317 2,256,453 9/1941 Bomar 214514 X 2,583,977 1/1952 Turner 214-82 X 2,841,246 7/1958 Lamb 21415 X 2,848,123 8/1958 Keys 21477 2,877,910 3/1959 Nelson 214302 2,928,562 3/1960 Gollnick 214302 3,085,704 4/1963 Dempster 214302 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH CABLE APPARATUS ADAPTED TO BE DETACHABLY CONNECTED TO A RECEPTACLE FOR LIFTING AND LOWERING THE SAME TO DEPOSITE THE RECEPTACLE ON AND REMOVE THE SAME FROM A POSITION ON THE GROUND IN SPACED RELATION TO THE VEHICLE OF AN EXTENSIBLE MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RECEPTACLE TO HOLD THE RECEPTACLE IN SPACED RELATION TO THE VEHICLE WHILE THE RECEPTACLE IS BEING LOWERED TO THE GROUND. 